David Cameron argues Putin finds it "very hard to come to terms with the fact that countries in his neighbourhood should be able to make their own decisions"

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President Putin’s inability to accept that neighbouring countries should be free to decide their own futures is the problem at the heart of the Ukraine crisis, Prime Minister David Cameron warned as world leaders prepare to gather in Wales for the Nato summit.

Speaking in Downing St, the prime minister pledged that opportunities would be grasped to promote Welsh business and culture as the summit unfolds at the Celtic Manor Resort.

He also said that the recent hike in the terrorist threat level warning to “severe” was not as a result of the summit and would not add to the costs of the event.

Acknowledging the impact of the epic security arrangements, he said: “Now, I know there’s been some sort of traffic and transport disruption but I hope there’s a generally positive feeling about this being the largest diplomatic event ever held in Britain’s history and taking place in Wales. I think there’s a real opportunity for business and for local firms to benefit.”

Underscoring the significance of the summit at a time of crises in Europe and the Middle East, he said: “First of all, I think people will talk about the Wales Nato summit for many years to come because this is a fantastically important time for the Nato alliance and you’ve got obviously the situation in Ukraine where Nato needs to speak with one voice about Russian aggression. You’ve got these appalling problems of terrorism coming out of the Middle East, where again Nato has got to demonstrate its relevance in terms of modern threats.

“You’ve also got a historic conference, even if those two things weren’t happening, because we’re marking the end, really, of combat operations in Afghanistan.”

Describing the character of Putin, he said: “Look, I think, you know, at the end of the day Vladimir Putin is a very strong Russian nationalist who finds it very hard to come to terms with the fact that countries in his neighbourhood should be able to make their own decisions and that is the problem that we have. Why have we got this conflict?

“Fundamentally, it’s because the people of Ukraine have voted repeatedly and protested repeatedly that they want to have not a uniquely European future but they want to have links to the rest of Europe at the same time as having a relationship with the rest of Russia. And that is in the end what Putin is objecting to and I think the unity of our response should be that the people of Ukraine have to be able to make that decision for themselves.

“But I think it is deeply regrettable that Putin has been prepared to go so far away from the norms of law of international process in order to try and get the result that he wants. But I think, ultimately, that he will not succeed because ultimately the people of Ukraine are very clear about what they want.

“And I think it’s not even clear the people of eastern Ukraine support the separatists.”

Mr Cameron said he hoped the summit would have “concrete results” and assure “nervous countries” about the strength of the alliance.

He said: “[Lots] of good things can come out of this. I think, first of all, just the very fact of having a conference and speaking with one voice about Russian aggression and speaking particularly to those nervous countries in the east of Europe – the Baltic states – about the support that Nato will give them, I think that will be a very tangible result. I also think you will see Nato recognising it needs to do more to build the capacity of other countries to help them defend themselves, so I think that will be an important statement.”

Insisting that the increase in the terrorism threat level was not linked to the summit, he said: “The [joint terrorism analysis centre] said there were three things that were motivating their change. One was the extent of the threat level coming out of Iraq and Syria; the second was the number of foreign fighters going from Britain and elsewhere to Iraq and Syria; and third was just the general level of activity of plots etc, not specifically related to the Nato summit...

“They would have made that decision without a Nato summit.”

The summit, he said, had been planned “on the basis of a ‘severe’ terrorism threat level because we thought that was a safe and prudent thing to do.”

Emphasising the opportunities for the nation, he said: “I think there will be a great legacy for Wales because people will be able to see in Newport and in Cardiff and in the surrounding countryside and the towns and villages what a beautiful place it is, what an industrious and entrepreneurial place it is. And we’ll be using the opportunity to try and promote Welsh businesses, Welsh culture in all the different events that we have.”

While he acknowledged people had the “right to protest,” he said: “I often feel these protests are deeply unfair in that, you know, G8s and G20s have had massive protests – anti-globalisation and all the rest of it – even when sometimes those G8s and G20s are making huge decisions to increase aid budgets or tackle the non-payment of taxes by multinational companies or what have you.

“And here, Nato is meeting to make some very clear statements about collective defence and security, stopping one country virtually invading another, the need to stand up to terrorism; you know, these are statements with which I think, you know, 99% of the country would agree.”

The PM argues that the summit is a chance to showcase the ways in which Wales has changed, stating: “In Newport, in Cardiff, there’s a lot of transformation that has taken place and it’s an opportunity for Wales to show its best face to the world.”

While he noted that “one shouldn’t overstate the importance of these conferences for the area in which they are held,” he said last year’s G8 summit in County Fermanagh in Northern Ireland had a “very big effect” and “we shouldn’t pass up opportunities like this”.

The prime minister speaks with pride of how the summit will involve the first visit to Wales by a sitting US president.

Mr Cameron said: “The last time I spoke to him he said he was looking forward to coming. I can’t remember whether or not I told him to try a Welsh cake...

“I’ve told him he is going to be the first US president to go to Wales and I think we’re going to do a visit together which I’m looking forward to.”

He added: “What album should I send him to get him in the right mood? A bit of Shirley Bassey and Tom Jones... And a bit of male voice choir.”